Udar aims for 15% of parliamentary poll

Udar, the opposition political party led by famous Ukrainian boxer Vitaly Klitschko, is shooting for 15% of the popular vote in Ukraine’s October 28 parliamentary election, Klitschko said last week at a press conference. Udar’s campaign stresses the party’s anti-corruption stance, engagement with voters, pragmatic relationship with foreign partners and transparency. According to opinion polls from the respected Razumkov Center, Udar’s support level rose from 9.5% of people that intended to vote in June 2012 to 11.5% in August 2012.

Brad Wells: Udar’s ratings have been steadily rising since Klitschko announced his party would actively contest the poll. We believe 15% is an overly ambitious expectation, but given the surge in its standings, it cannot be entirely ruled out. Udar has been one of the few new parties on the national scene to gain much traction as a viable alternative to the bickering pro-presidential Party of Regions and Fatherland opposition parties due to Klitschko’s strong name recognition and reputation as an opposition/anti-corruption bulwark.